Common Mistakes Couples Make During Wedding Planning

You just got engaged and are ready to begin planning the wedding of your dreams. You quickly find out that there is an abundance of ideas and inspiration for planning the wedding. While there is certainly no shortage of wedding planning tips, you might find it just as helpful to know which wedding planning mistakes to avoid. Chances are you have never been through this process before so you are getting ready to experience a number of “firsts” in the coming months. In order to ensure proper planning, we have compiled a list of common mistakes and how you can avoid them.

Not Setting a Proper Engagement Timeline

One of the biggest mistakes couples make is not allotting enough time between the engagement and the wedding. There are so many things to accomplish in preparation for a wedding and you want to give yourself an ample amount of time to get them done. Allow for breathing room so you don’t feel rushed to make decisions. This will also help to ensure that you get exactly what you want when it comes to a venue, dress, caterer etc. Finally, guests need plenty of time to make arrangements, especially if they are out of town.

Making Plans Before Setting a Budget

Looking at dresses or wedding venues before establishing a budget is like shopping without looking at price tags and holding your breath as you go to pay. You risk having your heart broken when you fall in love with something you can’t afford. Setting a budget should be the number one item on your to-do list, followed by making a guest list and selecting a venue.

Choosing a Venue that is Too Expensive

You walk into a venue, fall in love, and immediately start dreaming about how beautiful it would be for your wedding. But before you decide to sign the contract, make sure it does not swallow your budget. You don’t want to have to skimp on everything else just for a venue. Be sure you will have enough money for all of the other expenses such as food, dress, photographer, flowers, and entertainment before committing to an expensive venue.

Rushing to Register

It is so exciting to begin selecting all of the essentials you will need as husband and wife, but don’t be too eager to hit the stores. Talk about the items you really need and don’t feel compelled to register for items that will just end up collecting dust. Take the time to do some research and decide what gifts you really want.

Sweating the Small Stuff

Planning a wedding is stressful enough without worrying about all of the small stuff (and there’s a lot of small stuff!) Your mom might insist on a certain song she wants played, while your in-laws might want to help select a cake flavor. In the end, who cares? You are marrying the love of your life! Don’t get wrapped up the in little details and allow conflict to get in the way of your big day.